Kids & Snow: Your Winter Manual
Kids do not need instructions on how to have fun in snow, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared before sending the little ones out in the frozen wonderland for snowball fights, building snowmen, sledding, sliding… and having fun in myriad ways. Before you pack them off for a full day of romping in the snow, fuel them up with a warm morning meal and make sure they’re protected from the cold… and sun. The website Kindercare.com has good advice for dressing kids in winter, including:
• Wear layers, but not too many “because excess layers can cause your child to sweat.”
• Avoid cotton (wet cotton + cold weather = very cold kid”).
• Don’t skimp on anything protecting your child’s head, face, ears, hands, and feet (no cotton socks!). Wear materials that are well-suited for winter and snow.
• Make sure clothes and boot fit (feet need room to wiggle and clothing that is too tight can limit circulation).
• Pack a dry bag with extra gloves (or mittens), socks, pants, and shirt.
• Know when to quit (when you notice red, tingly skin on cheeks, fingers or anywhere – or if your child’s teeth start to chatter).
• Have plenty of cocoa in your pantry.
Kids have plenty to do in Red River including snowmobile tours (if they ride with mom and dad), sledding (wherever you can find a snow-covered hill), tubing at Red River Ski & Summer Area, skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
It’s a treat to see your son schuss down a mountain for the first time or your daughter carve a first turn. They nose-dive and still come up with a snow-covered smile. Whatever the weather, they’re out there going full throttle — cruising and crashing, learning and laughing, fearless and funny.
Professional instruction will give your kids a huge boost. At Red River Ski & Summer Area, kids have their own lodge, the Youth Ski & Snowboard Center, where professional staff design and supervise creative activities. Morning, afternoon, daily and multi-day packages are available as well as private lessons.
The center’s lessons are built around its Mountain Accomplishment Program (MAP), a progress report system that records the student’s growth of their skills. After each lesson a MAP progress report is presented to the parents and student, then each time a student returns for a lesson parents can present their previous report, which allows instructors to focus on further developing the student’s skills. Youth Center and Private Lessons are based on availability. Make a reservation by calling 575-754-2223 or online at redriverskiarea.com/winter/lessons. When booking online, reservations must be made three days in advance to allow for processing.
Once they’ve become proficient, Red River Ski & Summer Area offers three terrain parks with “jumps, jibs, and hits” for every riding ability.
Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area also offers cross country ski group and private lessons and snowshoeing for kids of all ages. Call 575-754-6112 or visit efxc.com.
–Ellen Miller-Goins